There are lots of local arts opportunities coming up in May, so here are some dates to make a note of. The Esperance Museum has a workshop on May 2nd at 5.30pm for people interested in designing and creating a Skylab-inspired fashions as part of the Skylab 40th Anniversary fashion competition. Contact Sarah Russell from the Apex Club of Esperance on 0407 672 969 or email esperance@apex.org.au for more information or to register before May 31st. Esperance's community radio station, 103.9 Hope FM, is also collecting Skylab stories from people who remember the event. Contact Meredith Waters on 0481 053 328 to share your memory! The Super Troupers Seniors Theatre Group are getting ready to present their next production, 'Shades of Blue' opening May 10th at the Bijou Theatre at 7.30pm with matinee shows at 2pm on 11th and 12th May. Tickets are now available from the Senior Citizen's Centre between 10am-4pm and at the Bijou Theatre on Dempster Street on the 27th April from 9am-12pm. In addition to all the preparation being undertaken by all the performers, local artist Miles Baldwin has been working hard on the creating original artwork for the set at Esperance Community Arts Space. The Esperance Drumming Group is also hosting two Samba Drumming workshops on the same weekend with Perth performers the Sambanistas as part of Esperance Community Arts' Act-Belong-Commit Esperance Samba Drumming Project. Workshop times are still to be confirmed. There will also be a public performance on Sunday May 12th. The 2019 Esperance Music Festival Schedule is now available at Dempster Street Newsagency and at Esperance Community Arts Space. The Festival will take place this year from August 22nd - 24th August and entry day will be June 9th. Nyungar artist Atheleen Thomas has now completed work on her part of the mural on the eastern wall of the Red Cross Building on Dempster Street. She worked with her sister Noelene Bourne, her daughter Nicolie and her nieces Zaleema Bourne and Jacinta Bourne, to create a wonderful ocean-themed artwork at the south end of the wall, featuring dolphins. Valma Schultz and her family have some small sections to complete on the north end of the mural before it is finalised. This section features echidna, emu and tiger snake. The third mural in the Wanju Nyungar Boodja Mural Series is planned for the Bay of Ilses Leisure Centre. We hope to begin work on this in the near future. Another exciting project underway this month is the Shire of Esperance's 'Showcase in Pixels'. Entries for this competition are due on May 10th. The Esperance winner will have their artwork displayed on the electronic screen in Yagan Square in Perth, along with the winners from all the other local government areas in WA. This replaces WALGA's 'Banner in the Terrance' project of previous years. Individuals, schools, community groups and professional artists within the Shire of Esperance are invited to submit digital designs to be considered for the $500 prize. For more information visit the Shire's website: https://www.esperance.wa.gov.au/news/2019/mar/21/showcase-pixels. For more information please contact Esperance Community Arts on 9072 1158, message us on Facebook, email us - admin@esperancecommunityarts.org.au or visit us at 67 Dempster street from 10am -2pm Tuesday - Friday. You can also find out more about our community projects on our website (http://esperancecommunityarts.org.au/) and on Instagram.

There are lots of local arts opportunities coming up in May, so here are some dates to make a note of.

The Esperance Museum has a workshop on May 2nd at 5.30pm for people interested in designing and creating a Skylab-inspired fashions as part of the Skylab 40th Anniversary fashion competition. Contact Sarah Russell from the Apex Club of Esperance on 0407 672 969 or email esperance@apex.org.au for more information or to register before May 31st. Esperance's community radio station, 103.9 Hope FM, is also collecting Skylab stories from people who remember the event. Contact Meredith Waters on 0481 053 328 to share your memory!

The Super Troupers Seniors Theatre Group are getting ready to present their next production, 'Shades of Blue' opening May 10th at the Bijou Theatre at 7.30pm with matinee shows at 2pm on 11th and 12th May. Tickets are now available from the Senior Citizen's Centre between 10am-4pm and at the Bijou Theatre on Dempster Street on the 27th April from 9am-12pm. In addition to all the preparation being undertaken by all the performers, local artist Miles Baldwin has been working hard on the creating original artwork for the set at Esperance Community Arts Space.

The Esperance Drumming Group is also hosting two Samba Drumming workshops on the same weekend with Perth performers the Sambanistas as part of Esperance Community Arts' Act-Belong-Commit Esperance Samba Drumming Project. Workshop times are still to be confirmed. There will also be a public performance on Sunday May 12th.

The 2019 Esperance Music Festival Schedule is now available at Dempster Street Newsagency and at Esperance Community Arts Space. The Festival will take place this year from August 22nd - 24th August and entry day will be June 9th.

Nyungar artist Atheleen Thomas has now completed work on her part of the mural on the eastern wall of the Red Cross Building on Dempster Street. She worked with her sister Noelene Bourne, her daughter Nicolie and her nieces Zaleema Bourne and Jacinta Bourne, to create a wonderful ocean-themed artwork at the south end of the wall, featuring dolphins. Valma Schultz and her family have some small sections to complete on the north end of the mural before it is finalised. This section features echidna, emu and tiger snake. The third mural in the Wanju Nyungar Boodja Mural Series is planned for the Bay of Ilses Leisure Centre. We hope to begin work on this in the near future.

Another exciting project underway this month is the Shire of Esperance's 'Showcase in Pixels'. Entries for this competition are due on May 10th. The Esperance winner will have their artwork displayed on the electronic screen in Yagan Square in Perth, along with the winners from all the other local government areas in WA. This replaces WALGA's 'Banner in the Terrance' project of previous years. Individuals, schools, community groups and professional artists within the Shire of Esperance are invited to submit digital designs to be considered for the $500 prize. For more information visit the Shire's website: https://www.esperance.wa.gov.au/news/2019/mar/21/showcase-pixels.

For more information please contact Esperance Community Arts on 9072 1158, message us on Facebook, email us - admin@esperancecommunityarts.org.au or visit us at 67 Dempster street from 10am -2pm Tuesday - Friday. You can also find out more about our community projects on our website (http://esperancecommunityarts.org.au/) and on Instagram.